Volodymyr Zelensky was greeted by Ireland’s president in Dublin as the Irish Government announced 100 million euro in non-lethal aid for Ukraine.
The additional funding brings to 200 million euro the total non-lethal military aid given to Ukraine this year.
The funding is part of a new Ireland-Ukraine partnership to be signed by Mr Zelensky and Irish premier Micheal Martin on Tuesday afternoon, which builds on an agreement signed in Kyiv last year.
The 2030 Roadmap on Ukraine-Ireland Partnership sets out Ireland’s immediate commitments to Ukraine, including 25 million euro to support the restoration and protection of Ukrainian energy infrastructure and a scheme to support training and other efforts as part of Ukraine’s path to EU accession.
Mr Zelensky’s visit is the first official visit of a Ukrainian president to Ireland.
He began the Dublin trip with a courtesy call to Ireland’s newly inaugurated president Catherine Connolly.
Mr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived at Aras An Uachtarain, the official residence of the president, where Ms Connolly warmly welcomed them at a red carpet laid at the front door.
He is to hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Martin at Government Buildings, where a guard of honour will be held for him with flags dipped in military salute.
He will also give an address to parliamentarians at Leinster House after being introduced by the Ceann Comhairle, or Irish speaker of the house, Verona Murphy.
Mr Zelensky is also due to attend the inauguration of the Ireland-Ukraine Economic Forum with Irish deputy premier Simon Harris and Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee.
Ms McEntee and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha are due to hold the first meeting of the Ukraine–Ireland Strategic Dialogue, which will also be established as part of the roadmap.
The visit comes a day after the Ukrainian president met French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris as part of discussions on ending the largest armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
Mr Martin said he looks forward to “reiterating Ireland’s unswerving commitment to standing with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes” as part of the visit.
The Taoiseach greeted Mr Zelensky on the tarmac after his plane landed in Dublin on Monday night.
In April 2022, Mr Zelensky made a historic address to the Irish Parliament by videolink, in which he said Ireland had not been neutral to the “disaster” Russia had brought to Ukraine.
Welcoming the visit, Mr Martin said Mr Zelensky’s arrival in Dublin comes at a “critical time” for Ukraine.
He said Zelensky’s “immense bravery” and the resilience of the Ukrainian people “are examples to us all”.
Ukrainian and US officials have worked to revise the proposed US-authored peace plan, which was developed in negotiations between Washington and Moscow but criticised as being too weighted towards Russian demands.
Mr Zelensky said in Paris on Monday that the peace plan “looks better” but the issue of Ukraine’s control over its territories is “the most complicated” topic being discussed.
